Amsterdam!

As many of you know I have been stranded to say the least in Amsterdam for the past week.  I have holed myself up in the room for most of the time here trying to over come a chest cold that I have been alluding but finally caught up with me in the beginning of the week.  Most of my excursions here have been to the Schipol Airport, and as that my not sound very grand its actually quite fun.  I enjoy people watching and to see loved ones greeting their special someones upon their return.  The airport also has a market and usually there is live music being preformed in the "meeting area".  On top of being sick all week the weather has been absolute Crap, that's right capital 'C'.  It has been cold, rainy, gray and gloomy all week.  Today, my last day here in Amsterdam I decided I was well enough to go to Amsterdam Central.  The skies looked promising with few gray clouds and a slight breeze, I strapped on my walking boots and headed out.
I bought a return trip ticket with all my loose change I had collected in the bottom of my purse and started my journey.  As the train approached Amsterdam Central the skies decided to go a bit more gray, the wind picked up and oh no...is that RAIN!  Oh well, its just a little drizzle, I can handle that.  By the time I exited the Central Station and purchased my 24 hour tram/metro/bus ticket it was full out POURING!  I mean cats and dogs...Really!?!
I decided to hop on a tram and ride the storm out...Literally.  I hopped off at the van Gogh Museum.  As I walked around the galleries, looking at the work by van Gogh I could not help myself and think, "I have a secret, I have seen these wheat fields, that church, and I have been in the room where van Gogh passed away with his beloved brother by his side".  It made the work I was looking at all that more special.
When I exited the museum after spending a good part of the day there, I hopped on another tram only to make it 2 stops and have the tram fail.  I walked around the museum district, and area that I have not been in before.
The wind really started to pick up by now and its getting to be early evening; I hop on another tram, hop off it close to Amsterdam Central.  I walk the last blocks to the train station and just as I was crossing the street the skies opened up again and poured.  I was safe and dry on the train headed back to the airport.

Unfortunately, the van Gogh Museum does not allow photography, and to be honest I did not take a lot of photos on my walks today, so I hope you enjoy these few shots.

I AMsterdam.